CFL1 regulates oxidative stress response genes in transcriptional levels in Candida albicans

Abstract:

[Background] CFL1 is one of the ferric reductase genes in Candida albicans, and mediates the reduction of iron in the cell surface to maintain iron stability in the cell. [Objective] To study the sensitivity and mechanism of CFL1 to oxidative stress. [Methods] We analyzed the growth and the ability to kill macrophages under the oxidative stress condition by means of liquid culture and macrophages model. Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) was added to verify if it released the oxidative stress. The quantitative real-time PCR was used to analyze the expression of oxidative stress response genes in cfl1Δ/Δ. We constructed the strain WT-CAT1-GFP and cfl1Δ/Δ-CAT1-GFP to test if the over-expression of catalase changed the sensitivity. [Results] The deletion of CFL1 caused the decrease of the ability to kill macrophages and the expression of oxidative stress response genes. Besides, it resulted in the down-expression of catalase. However, the over-expression of catalase in cfl1Δ/Δ could recover nearly the same ability of oxidative stress response as the wild type. [Conclusion] CFL1 regulates the oxidative stress response genes in the transcriptional levels.